Filling and capping equipment



June 1952 L. M. COOPER FILLING AND CAPPING EQUIPMENT Filed Dec. 29, 1945 Patented June 3, 1952 lTED STATES orlucs FILLING AND CAPPING EQUIPMENT Application December 29, 1945, Serial No. 638,418

2 Claims. (Cl. 226'73) This invention relates to equipment for filling vessels with fluids under pressure and to'sealing them while under pressure. It relates more particularly to a valve structure as employed in a machine for automatically introducing a predetermined quantity of a fluid under pressure into small containers, and for sealing the containers under such pressure.

Prior art equipment is not readily adapted for the handling of containers in regard to the filling and sealing at pressures of about 80 pounds per square inch or greater.

A main deficiency of the prior art equipment is to be found in the valve means for controlling the introduction of fluids into individual containers therefor, and in sealing such containers while under the filling pressure.

The present invention has 'for its objects the provision of a combined valve and container sealing structure such as to permit containers to be filled as required with fluids under high pressure, and, in a consecutive operation, to seal the container at the filling pressure.

The invention and its objects may be more fully understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing illustrating a device of the character contemplated in vertical section.

Referring more specifically to the drawing. the numeral 78 designates a cup-shaped nozzle member, having a concentric discharge outlet in the bottom wall, designated by the numeral 12. The discharge outlet extends through the bottom wall, opening into the interior of the nozzle member and forming therewith an interior shouldered portion, on which is disposed an annular, perforate washer, or valve seat 90. The perforations in the seat 90 communicate at one end with a delivery duct 92 in the shouldered portion, which duct extends downwardly therefrom at an angle through the bottom wall to open into the nozzle outlet. At the other end, the perforations communicate with the interior of the nozzle member. An inlet duct 94 opens through a side wall of the nozzle member 18 into the interior of themember above the seat 98.

As illustrated in the drawing, the nozzle is shown in engagement with the nozzle member Hi2 of a container I00. This container is a generally conventional unit, the nozzle I 02 being provided with a syphon tube 14, extending downwardly into the container, and a sealing gasket I86. As shown, the nozzle is shaped at the outlet 12 generally to conform to the shape of the end of a container nozzle I02. The nozzle i8 is provided with a gasket seal ring 98 to insure a fluid-tight joint.

Interiorly of the cup-shaped nozzle member ill, and extending through the upper end thereof is an annular, or bushing valve member 86 disposed in closely fitted relation to the nozzle member Walls for reciprocal movement into and out of engagement with the seat 98 to seal the inlet and delivery ducts 92 and 94, and retractable to form a chamber interiorly of the nozzle communicating with each of the ducts. The bushing valve 86 is maintained in fluid-tight relation to the nozzle member by means of a packing gland including a nut adapted for threaded engagement with the nozzle member and a packing material to be compressed thereby. The outer end of the bushing Valve 86 is provided, as with a collar 88, for engagement with means, not shown, to impart reciprocal motion to the valve member.

Concentric with the valve 86, and reciprocally movable with relation thereto, is a rod member 80. This member is movable through the bushing valve and outlet nozzle so as to extend into the container nozzle. The outlet nozzle end of the rod 88 is shaped or undercut as at 82 to receive, by light friction fit, a metal can 84 to be inserted in the container nozzle I02 as a seal therefor. The opposite end of the rod 80 is engageable by means, not shown, to move the rod reciprocally through the nozzle member l0 and bushing 86 for the purpose later described. A packing gland is provided in the outer end of the bushing valve collar 88 to provide a fluidtight seal with the rod 80.

In operation of the assembly illustrated, with the rod 88 extended through the discharge outlet, a cap element such as indicated by the reference numeral 84, is mechanically or manually applied to the undercut end 82 of the rod and the rod withdrawn into the nozzle, as shown by dotted lines in the drawing. During this. operation, the bushing valve 86 is seated on the valve seat 90, sealing the ducts 92 and 94. A container I08 is then brought into concentric relation to the nozzle 10 by means not shown. Also by means not shown, the nozzle 10 is then pressed into fluid-tight relationship with the container nozzle I02 or vice versa. With such relationship established, the valve member 86 is withdrawn from its seat 90, as shown by dotted lines in the drawing, permitting the flow of fluid through ducts 94 and 92 into the container I00. When the desired quantity of fluid is thus introduced into the container, the valve is reseated, cutting 01f fluid flow through the discharge outlet. The rod 80 is then moved through the bushing valve and discharge outlet into the container nozzle I02, forcing the cap 84 into the nozzle, and sealing the container. Under some circumstances, the sealing of the container may be accomplished by the forced insertion of the cap 84 into nozzle I 02, establishing a -friction fitted relationship th'erebetw'een. As shown in the drawing, however, it is desirable that the seal be made more positive, as for example by means such as a soft metal gasket material :between the cap and nozzle, indicated in the drawing by the numeral I03. 'Th'enozzle H] and container I00 may then be separated fromith'e'ir l fluid-tight relationship, leaving the"rod80 extended to receive another cap member -04.

The operation as described may be repeated manually or by automatic or semi-automatic mechanical means, as desired.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for filling-and-sealing com sealing element "into the "container opening in friction fitted'fluid-tight relation therein.

-2. In an-apparatus for filling'andsealing con- '-tain'er's, a combined ifilling andsealing "element comprising a "substantially cup-shaped nozzle, a

concentric discharge outlet 'irrthe bottom wall of said nozzle forming therewith .an interior shouldered portion, a delivery duct in said shouldered portion opening from the interior of said nozzle through the bottom wall into communication with the nozzle outlet, an annular valve seat supported on said interior shouldered portion, said seat having perforations opening between the interior of the nozzle and the delivery duct, an inlet duct opening *into the nozzle through a side Wall thereof immediately above said seat, a reciprocally movable bushing valve in said nozzle normally engaging the valve seat to seal the'inlet-and delivery duct but retractable to form a chamber interiorly of the nozzle in communication with each of said ducts, a sealingrod element concentric with said nozzle and valve and reciprocally movable with respect thereto through said nozzle outlet to insert a sealing cap element into the container opening into friction fitted fluid-tight relation therein, and a gasket seal carried by the nozzle adapted to engage the container about said opening in fluid-tight relation during the filling and sealing operation.

'COOPER.

REFERENCES CIT ED The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATESiBATENTS Number Name Date 438,708 Painer 'Oct. 21, 1890 675,565 'Kraemer June 4, 1901 697,280 *Schmitt Apr. 8, 1902 785,001 Hicks .'Mar. 14, 1905 1,173,148 Stone ..Feb. 22, 1916 1,270,797 Dunkley July '2, 19 18 1,790,787 Badger Feb. 3, 1931 1,881,782 Mallinckrodt, Jr. Oct. 11, .1932

2,014,597 "Staley Sept. .17, 1935 

